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THE NATIVITY OF THE MOST HOLY CELEBRATED AT THE

On Wednesday the 8th/21st of September 2016, the feast of the Nativity of Our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos was observed by the Patriarchate in commemoration of the fact that God had offered Mary as a gift to her barren parents, Joachim and Anna, for their fervent faith and prayer; but also as a gift to humanity as a whole, for she was destined to bear the Son of God, the Redeemer and Saviour of the world.

The feast was observed:

A. In the Patriarchate

At the Monastic of Sts Constantine and Helen, His Beatitude Theophilos and Hagiotaphite Fathers being in attendance.

B. In Beit-Jala

At the Church dedicated to the Nativity of Theotokos, by means of a panegyric divine , led by Patriarchal Commissioner, Metropolitan Isychios of Kapitolias. Co- officiating were the hegumen, Archimandrite Narcissus, and priests Georgios, Pavlos and Joseph. The Beit-Jala Choir sang for several Orthodox faithful from the town.

On the conclusion of the service, the hegumen and the town’s Community hosted Primates to a reception at an events hall adjacent to the Church.

C. At the Tomb of the Mother of God in Gethsemane

The was led by Aristarchos of Constantina, having as concelebrants Archimandrites Meletios, Parthenios and Porphyrios as head priest. Archimandrite Aristovoulos sang for a congregation of , and pilgrims. After the service, the hegumen, Archbishop Dorotheos of Avila, hosted Primates to a reception at the hegumeneion.

From the Secretariat-General httpv://youtu.be/WKDVPPqLZoQ

MS LENA KARRER VISITS THE PATRIARCHATE

On the morning of Wednesday, the 7th/20th of September 2016, Ms Lena Karrer visited the Patriarchate.

Ms Karrer is the daughter of the late Lukas Karrer, Mayor of the island of Zakynthos during World War II. Mayor Karrer, in collaboration with the ever-memorable Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Zakynthos, helped 275 members of the Jewish Community of Zakynthos flee to the countryside, giving the Nazis a list of merely two names – of himself and the Metropolitan – which led to the saving of the island’s entire Jewish Community. In 1978, the “Yad Vashem” Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority honoured the late Mayor Lukas Karrer and Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Zakynthos with the “Righteous Among the Nations” title.

Ms Lena Karrer, accompanied by Ms Ruth Zakh, representative of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was welcomed by H.B. Theophilos, of Jerusalem. The Patriarch expressed His appreciation of the Mayor and the Metropolitan, whilst Ms Karrer extended her gratitude to the Greek State and Church for the rescue of the Jewish Community of Zakynthos through the heroism of these two distinguished men.

During the meeting, His Beatitude offered Ms Karrer a crucifix and of Theotokos Jerusalemite and of the Holy Sepulchre, and a medal commemorating 2000 years of . A commemorative medal was also offered to Ms Zakh.

From the Secretariat-General

THE PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM OFFICIATES IN TURAN COMMUNITY, NEAR TIBERIAS

On Sunday, the 5th/18th of September 2016, His Beatitude Theophilos of Jerusalem led the divine Liturgy at St George church of the Rum Orthodox -speaking Community of the town of Turan, near the Tiberian sea and the city of Kana, numbering approximately 700 members.

The divine Liturgy was performed in memory of St Zacharias the Prophet, father of the Forerunner, and on the occasion of the completion of the Community’s church on behalf of the Patriarchate.

Co-officiating were Metropolitan Kyriakos Nazareth, Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, Metropolitan Joachim of former Zambia, Hagiotaphite Hieromonks, the head of the Community, f. Spyridon, and Hierodeacon Markos acting as . The Nazareth and Turan Choirs sang for the Orthodox faithful attending in piety and joy.

To enhance their Christian Orthodox feelings, His Beatitude preached the word of God during Communion, saying that Christ is the head of the body of the Church for we are “members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones” [Ephesians 5, 30] according to the Apostle Paul. “This”, the Patriarch said, “means that the restoration of this church pertains essentially to the restoration of the body of each and every one of us, according to Paul:Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple. (1 Corinthians 3, 16-17). It is precisely this temple of God that the devil hates and wants to destroy, prowling around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (1 Peter 5, 8-9)”.

On the conclusion of the divine Liturgy, His Beatitude distributed Jerusalemite blessings among the faithful.

The service was followed by a small reception in the events hall, then lunch hosted by the Community Council, during which the Patriarch addressed attendants in Greek.

“The annunciation of Christ’s love and justice, as well as peace and reconciliation, and respect to every human being beyond discriminations constitutes the essential purpose of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem”, the Patriarch said, adding: “The dispersed presence of Christian Communities, either large or small in numbers, provides tangible and visible testament to the centuries-long existence of local or indigenous Christians, both in the Holy Land and in the wider region of the suffering ”. The Rum Orthodox Patriarchate is the one that guarantees the Christians’ identity and stay in their ancestral homes, His Beatitude said, which “was clearly demonstrated during the recent meeting of the General Assembly of the Middle East Council of Churches in Amman, Jordan”.

In closing, Patriarch Theophilos thanked the Very Reverend Archimandrite Timotheos, for tirelessly and with self- sacrifice serving the Christian Community in Turan, as well as to all those having worked for the completion of the restoration works, especially Archimandrite Hilarion, hegumen at the Monastery of the Transfiguration of the Saviour on Mount Tabor, and the contractor, Mr Nander Nassar. He then offered an icon of Theotokos to the Community and hieratic for f. Spyridon.

From the Secretariat-General httpv://youtu.be/9aPDLTjx6_8 httpv://youtu.be/wFSYv-OyKAI

START OF THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR AT ST SION SCHOOL

On the morning of Monday, the 30th of August/12th of September 2016, the new school year 2016-2017 was launched with a blessing-of-the-water rite at the Patriarchal Hieratical School on the Hill of St Sion. The rite was performed by H.B. Theophilos, Patriarch of Jerusalem, in the presence of the Greek Consul-General to Jerusalem, Mr Christos Sofianopoulos, the President of the School Board, His Eminence Isidoros of Hierapolis, the Elder Secretary General, Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina, Metropolitan Joachim of Zambia, Hegumen Constantinos of Hozeva Monastery, Principal N. Souliotis, teachers and students.

At the ceremony, Patriarch Theophilos advised students to be diligent during the new school year and cultivate the Christian ethos in preparation of their participation in the Hagiotaphite Brotherhood.

In his address, the Greek Consul-General, Mr C. Sofianopoulos, said that significant national work is performed at the Patriarchal School of Sion, as children are taught the Greek education by means of an especially valuable educational process that promotes the unity of knowledge and faith. “The Greek and ecclesiastical education acquired here”, said Mr Sofianopoulos, “is closely linked to the future of our Patriarchate, for which it constitutes a supreme asset, whilst being a valuable skill for each student, enabling them to tackle, in the best possible way, the many and great contemporary challenges”. In closing, the Greek Consul-General pledged support on behalf of the Consulate, in order for the School to carry on achieving its elevated purpose.

The ceremony was followed by reception at the School Office, hosted by the Principal, Mr N. Souliotis.

From the Secretariat-General httpv://youtu.be/OuHiajrcVqk COMMEMORATION OF THE BEHEADING OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST

On Sunday, the 29th of August/11th of September 2016, the Patriarchate commemorated the beheading of St John the Baptist at the Monastery dedicated to his name, standing to the south of the Church of the Resurrection. His memory is observed by the Church through fasting from olive oil except for Saturday and Sunday, in commemoration of the evangelical narration that Herod, criticized by the prophet John, Forerunner and Baptist, for his unlawful affair with Herodias, wife of his Philip, surrendered to her demand to deliver his head on a platter. During the banquet for Herod’s birthday, her daughter Salome danced, then asked for the head of John the Baptist, which led to the Forerunner’s criminal and unholy beheading (Mark 6, 14-29).

Vespers and the divine Liturgy were led by Archbishop Alexios of Tiberias, Patriarchal Commissioner in Gaza, having as concelebrants Hagiotaphite Hieromonks and Hierodeacon Mark. Archimandrite Eusebius, head cantor at Sts Constantine and Helen church, and Elder Mariam Skorda sang during ; Archimandrite Eusebius and Nun Danielia sang during the divine Liturgy for a pious congregation of monks, nuns, local Jerusalemites and pilgrims from , Russia and Romania.

During the course of the divine Liturgy, Patriarch Theophilos venerated the , accompanied by Hagiotaphite Fathers.

The Patriarchal and Prelatic Entourages were then hosted to a reception hosted by the Monastery’s Hegumen, and Master-of- Ceremonies, Archimandrite Bartholomew.

From the Secretariat-General httpv://youtu.be/vKfhgtZKsAo httpv://youtu.be/JZehRiJctB4

DELIBERATIONS OF THE MECC 11TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON 8.9.2016

On Thursday, the 26th of August/8th of September 2016, the 11th General Assembly of the MECC approved the appointment of new officials to serve on behalf of each Family.

The proposals of the Orthodox Family, approved and ratified by the General Assembly, are as follows:

His Beatitude Patriarch is appointed President of the Orthodox Families, with Bishop Constantinos of Chrysoupolis and Dr Michel Abs as members of the Executive Committee at the MECC.

The Patriarchate of Alexandria is represented by His Beatitude Theodore, Patriarch and of Alexandria as President of the Delegation of the Patriarchate of Alexandria at the MECC, with Metropolitans Nikolaos of Ermoupolis and Narcissus of Accra as members of the Executive Committee at the MECC.

Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem is appointed President of the Delegation of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, with Archbishop Aristarchos of Constantina as member. Archbishop Philoumenos of Pella and the Director of the Patriarchate’s Office in Amman, Miss Wafa Goussous, are appointed members of the Executive Committee.

Archbishop Chrysostomos heads the Delegation of the Church of , with Presbyter Ioannis Nicolaou as member and Michael Spyrou as Assistant General Secretary.

On the morning of the aforementioned day, the Moderator of the competent Committee read the message of the General Assembly, which was then commented upon, modified and approved. Along general lines, the message holds that the Middle East and specifically the Holy Land is the birthplace of Christianity and the site where the Church was founded to mark the beginning of its historical, salvaging course.

As the cradle of Christianity, it must be inhabited by Christians, aided by their respective States and protected by persecutions, still witnessed to this day. Residing their homelands, Christians can be useful to their countries, brave patriots, cultivating the dialogue for reconciliation and peace with their Muslim countrymen, serving as a bridge in the political dialogue between Israel and Palestine. Christians enjoy the special protection of the King of Jordan, the country that has undertaken to safeguard the religious status quo in Jerusalem – especially of the Church of Resurrection as a Christian site of veneration and Umar’s Mosque as a Muslim one.

Thanks are extended to the King of Jordan, along with wishes to Muslims for the Eid-Il-Adha feast.

The Message calls for an end to the plight of financial refugees, and for the humanitarian treatment of refugees; likewise, is called upon to remove the negative results of its invasion to Cyprus.

The elected Presidents of the MECC Families are: Metropolitan Mar Theophilos George Saliba for the Pre-Chalcedonian Family; Patriarch John of Antioch for the Orthodox Family; Right Rev. Dr Habib Badr for the Evangelical Family; and Mar Raphael Luis Sako for the Family. Dr Michel Jalakh was reelected unanimously General Secretary.

Fr. Jalakh went on to thank the Assembly and asked for their prayers and support in the next four years, so that the MECC can fulfill its mission for peace, justice and protection of the Christian Communities in the Middle East.

The approved Message can be reached here:www.mecc.org and contains references on the genocides of the Armenians, the Chaldeans, Pontic Greeks and other peoples by Turkey in 1915, as well as on the abduction of Syrian Primates, with an appeal for their liberation. An appeal was also made for the resolution of the Cyprus problem and the unification of the island of Cyprus.

As a token of appreciation for their services, the four thus far Presidents of the MECC have been recognized as Honorary Presidents.

The General Assembly offered Patriarch Theophilos a fine icon of the Holy Cross. Smaller icons were offered to all members of the Assembly.

From the Secretariat-General

THE DELIBERATIONS OF THE MECC GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON WEDNESDAY, 7.9.2016

The deliberations of the General Assembly of the Middle East Council of Churches carried on in Amman, Jordan, according to schedule, on Wednesday the 25th of August/7th of September 2016.

Speakers’ presentations on the morning of the aforementioned day focused on the challenges facing Christians in the Middle East, on their obligation to remain in this land, the birthplace of Christianity, and from there provide testament on a local, national and international level, in collaboration with Western Churches and the . References were also made on the Christians’ dialogue with Muslims in the context of current political challenges and especially on decisions at their expense.

During the course of the day, the Assembly General appointed different Committees e.g. on the MECC’s strategy and activities; ecumenical dialogue; the relations between Christians and Muslims; the Mass Media and communication; administration and finances; and the Final Declaration – the Message of the Assembly General.

Before the conclusion of the day’s deliberations, addresses were made by guests, partners and financial advisors.

From the Secretariat-General

11TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE MIDDLE EAST COUNCIL OF CHURCHES

From Tuesday the 24th of August/6th of September 2016 to Thursday the 26th of August/8th of September 2016, the Convention of the 11th General Assembly of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) takes place in Amman, Jordan, at the Royal Hotel, under the protection of His Majesty Abdullah II King of Jordan. The Assembly is hosted by the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

In attendance at the meeting were all members of the MECC, namely:

1. The Orthodox Family, comprised of the of Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem and the Holy Archbishopric of Cyprus; 2. The Pre-Chalcedonian Family, comprised of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Cilicia, the Coptic of St Mark, Alexandria, and the Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch; 3. The Evangelical Family, comprised of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, the Coptic Evangelical Church (Synod of the Nile), the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, the National Evangelical Church in and Lebanon, the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Church in the Near East, the National Evangelical Church of Lebanon, the National Evangelical Church of Kuwait; 4. The Family, comprised of the Syrian of Antioch, the Maronite Syrian Church of Antioch, the Melkite (Greek) Catholic Church of Antioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem, the Chaldean Catholic Church and the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

The General Assembly was so far headed by His Beatitude Theophilos, Patriarch of Jerusalem, as Chairman of the Orthodox Family; the Armenian Catholic Patriarch Aram of Cilicia for the Pre-Chalcedonian Church; Lutheran Bishop Munib Younan for the Evangelical Family; and Patriarch Ignatius Youssef of Antioch and All the East for the Catholic Family. Maronite Fr. Michel Jalakh serves as General Secretary of the MECC. Each Orthodox Church was represented by its Head, namely: Patriarch Theodoros of Alexandria, Patriarch John of Antioch, Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem and Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus.

The deliberations of the General Assembly began on Tuesday the 24th of August/6th of September 2016.

Following a prayer allowed in such meetings, and the National Anthem of Jordan, His Beatitude Theophilos addressed participants in English, see link: https://en.jerusalem-patriarchate.info/2016/09/06/26263

Addresses were also delivered by the other three Chairmen of the MECC, namely Patriarch Aram of Cilicia, Patriarch Ignatius Youssef of the Church and Bishop Munib Younan of the Lutheran Church.

Other heads of Churches also took the podium, e.g. the Patriarch of Alexandria, the Archbishop of Cyprus and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew – the latter’s speech delivered by Metropolitan Benedictus of Philadelphia.

On the conclusion of the opening ceremony, deliberations began, regarding administrative issues, the assignment of roles, the setting up of Committees e.g. the Representation Committee for a four-year tenure, the Nomination Committee, Committee of Finances, Mass Media Committee etc.

The report of the MECC General Secretary, Fr. Michel Jalakh took the stage at the event and may be reached here: www.mecc.org

Along general lines, the report covered the current situation of the MECC, one of administrative and structural healing with the support of the Churches of the aforementioned Families towards repayment of debts, the conclusion of trials running against it, restoration of the donors’ trust, creation of a new website (www.mecc.org), the continuation of the dialogue between Christianity and , and humanitarian help to Syrian refugees by means of the collaboration between the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the , with the help of the Patriarchate’s Office in Amman, directed by Miss Wafa Goussous – who has hosted eight out of eleven meetings of the MECC Central Committee and General Assemblies.

Fr Jalakh extended his gratitude to all four Chairmen, as well as the King of Jordan, pointing out that the MECC remains the valid institution for the voice of Christians in the Middle East and their protection against manifestations of violence in the region and elsewhere, and towards reconciliation, peace and justice.

During the second session of deliberations, remarks, both positive and negative ones, were expressed in relation to the report, followed by addresses of partners and financial supporters.

The first day of deliberations closed with dinner hosted by Patriarch Theophilos of Jerusalem, having Prince Emir Ghazi as a guest. His Beatitude’s address, in English, may be reached here: http://www.jp-newsgate.et/en/2016/09/06/26265

From the Secretariat-General

REMARKS AT LUNCHEON 11TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE M.E.C.C., AMMAN, JORDAN.

6th of September 2016

Your Royal Highness,

Your Holiness,

Your Beatitudes,

Your Eminences,

Your Graces,

Distinguished Delegates to this Assembly, Sisters and Brothers,

As we gather for this luncheon, we experience the truth of the words of the Psalmist:

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

(Ps.132 <133>: 1)

It is our honor and pleasure to welcome you to this blessed gathering here in Amman, which is a crossroads of the historic religious cultures that have formed and nurtured our common home in the Middle East for millennia. Here the monotheistic religions of Judaism, , as well as others, have dwelt together for so long.

We wish to welcome especially to this luncheon His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi. We thank you, Your Highness, for all that you have done and continue to do, in the crucial work of dialogue and reconciliation, and your presence with us is a tangible reminder that we are not alone.

It is also for us a special privilege to be in the midst of such highly respected Church leaders, as well as consummate diplomats.

We are thankful to Almighty God that in the midst of the turmoil that rocks our region we have managed to gather here to send a message to the world that we are determined to remain and to flourish in the land of our forebears. They established the foundations of our present civilization, and articulated and lived its values, and we are an affirmation of the undeniable reality of Ex Oriente Lux – that the Light comes from the East to a world wrapped in darkness and despair.

This gathering is a sign of hope that, even in the face of all the threats to our region and our peoples, there is the capacity to restore peace, co-existence and Justice among our various ethnic and religious communities. The monstrous inhumanity that we see every day has helped us to see once again what we are always trying to tell the world, that we all share a common humanity and a common destiny. And we know that we are not the masters of history or creation, but rather servants.

With this reflection we would like to propose a toast to the success of our Assembly. We pray fervently to our Lord to enlighten our minds, so that we may walk in the steps of His commandments that lead to life.

Thank you.

His Beatitude THEOPHILOS III

Patriarch of Jerusalem

OPENING ADDRESS TO THE 11TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE MIDDLE EAST COUNCIL OF CHURCHES.

6th September 2016

Amman, Jordan

Your Holiness Patriarch Tawadros,

Your Beatitudes,

Your Eminences,

Your Graces, Your excellencies

Distinguished Delegates to this Assembly

Ladies and Gendlemen,

It is a joy and an honour to welcome you all to this, the 11th General Assembly of the Middle East Council of Churches. We bring with us to all of you the blessings of the Holy Land and especially of the Holy Tomb of our Lord Jesus Christ and the greetings of the Christian community there. Let the Psalmist have the first words:

Great is the Lord and exceedingly praiseworthy and his greatness has no limits.(Ps. 144(145):3)

We gather here not by virtue of our own strenghth, but by virtue of God’s grace and providence, and we give thanks to God, who is great and exceedingly praiseworthy, who has brought us together from accross our region and the world, just as the holy Apostles were brought together by the forn the Council in Jerusalem from their ministry among those of many nations and languages. We give God thanks and praise for this sacred opportunity to be together and we commend all our deliberations to his mercy and the sustenance of his excellent greatness.

We live, as we all understand in a new age of martyria – in a new time of Christian witness. Christians, along with many other innocent men, women and children, face persecution once again, and once again our martyria, our witness, is of ultimate importance for the Churches and for the world.

The martyria of the Christian presence in our beloved Middle East has been the living martyria of of truth, life, love and righteousness. Ourmartyria has been the witness to the Light of which the Scriptures speak so eloquently:

The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.

And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned. (Matt. 4:16).

This is our spiritual mission as servants of the Gospel and as torchbearers of the Light of Christ. This is our divine calling in the midst of the significant challenges that face us both globally and locally.

We all keenly aware of the reality that we are all experiencing on our door-steps in our beloved homelands. The situation that we face is unprecedented in our life – times, and our response must not be- it cannot be- the response of a cowardly spirit. This is putting it strongly, but we do so because we know that our struggle is not against a human force. As Paul reminds us in the Epistle to the Ephesians (6:12):

We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

It is this that makes the challenges we face so serious and life-threatening, and it is precisely with this understanding that we as Churches and Christian communities across the Middle East have joined our spiritual forces to spread the message of the goodness of the Lord and His mercy and of hope – the hope of the resurrection, the hope of the new life that comes from the Tomb.

So we affirm the theme of this Assembly to give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for ‘His mercy endures for ever’, (Ps. 135 (136): 1).

Our Assembly has actually emerged from the fiery crucible, because in the midst of this present time, we have never lost hope and faith. This means that we are now summoned individually and collectively to assume fully and without reserve our responsibilities and moral obligations before our fellow human beings and before God.

Our task is first and foremost, to work with all our heart and all our mind to protect our Christian identity, to ensure the Christian character in the region, and to nourish the roots or our Christian community, so that the Christian presence here may always be vital and vibrant.

This is our responsibility. And this means, among other things, that we cannot and must not expect others to do this for us. As pastors and leaders, it is our obligation to nourish and water our deep roots in this region, so that the Christian presence may continue to flourish. And we do this as Saint Paul encourages us (Eph. 6:13):

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

We are, he says, to gird ourselves with truth, and the breastplate of righteousness. We are to put on our feet the preparation of the Gospel of peace, and take up the shield of faith, the helmet of , and the sword of the Spirit. And we are to do all this with prayer. Herein lies our strength, and with these we shall be able to shoulder those responsibilities and obligations that are rightfully ours to bear.

As we face the dire circumstances in which we find ourselves, we must overcome our human weaknesses. There has never been a place for antagonism of rivalry in the Christian life, and therefore our present circumstances in which our fellow human beings and our communities are living and struggling leave us absolutely no room for such attitudes and behaviours. Evil respects no boundaries, and huge suffering affects us all. Good must have no boundaries, and we must show in our life together the evidence of this. It is right to remind ourselves of this, and to be re-commited at the outset of our work together to this understanding of our common life.

A tangible illurstration of this common purpose is the ongoing restoration of the Sacred Edicule of the Holy Tomb that is the fruit of consensus that has been reached between our communities after 200 years. If we can come together to save one of the most contested of the Holy Sites, we can certainly come together to accomplish the goals of this Assembly and our common mission. Needless to say, a new consensus among us would be of inestimable inspiration in resolving current disputes.

We consider this Assembly a blessing, because it presents us with the strength and the spiritual means to be on the alert, and not to allow the evil powers, both visible and invisible, to discourage us or make us fainthearted. As Saint Paul advises in the First Epistle to the Thessalonians, (5:14):

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.

This is our responsibility to each other.

Now to some specifics of our work.

Given the present situation and the harsh conditions throughout our region, it is imperative that our Assembly focus specifically on the alleviation of the human suffering all around us: the reality of homelessness, migration and starvation; The lack of the basic necessities of life, clothing, and health care; And attention to the rehabilitation from psychological trauma, especially in children and youth.

Most importantly, we must take care not to become entangled in bureaucratic distractions.

We are the community of the self-emptying love of Christ and so we always bear in mind our Lord’s example and His commandments. His commandments are clear: we are to love our neighbour, and we are to love our enemy.

These commandments are fundamental for us, if we are to take our place in the re-building of our communities, our societies and our motherlands. We ourselves are firmly committed to the mission of the Middle East Council of Churches that we have been serving and supporting throughout our tenure as the President of the Orthodox Family.

As we begin our Assembly, it would be a serious omission not to express our gratitude to His Majesty King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, who has been instrumental in accommodating, hosting and supporting not only this Assembly, but all our efforts towards peaceful co – existence and reconciliation. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan remains a shining example in our region of maintaining the natural fabric of mutual good relations between peoples of different faiths, ethnicities and cultures.

We also thank His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi for his presence and his support. And we wish to thank all those governmental agencies and offices that have spared no effort to facilitate our Assembly here in Amman.

We acknowledge with gratitude the many societies, agencies, and groups from the , Europe, and the rest of the world who have been supporting and continue to support materially, spiritually, and morally the communities of displaced persons that are hosted here in Jordan. Especially the director and her colleagues of our office here in Amman.

Let us now comment this Assembly and our work together to God. May God bless us in all that we do in His name, and may the work of this Assembly be another positive step forward in our unity in Christ and in the peace of our beloved Middle East. Thank you.

His Beatitude

THEOPHILOS III Patriarch of Jerusalem